Anti-government mothers group gains steam in fractured GOP

+ humanizing politicians eases partisanship; hostage swap US Edition - Today's top story: Moms for Liberty: ‘Joyful warriors’ or anti-government conspiracists? The 2-year-old group could have a serious impact on the presidential race [View in browser]( US Edition | 21 September 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Moms for Liberty, the 2-year-old conservative mothers political advocacy group, has been in the news a lot. That’s one of its skills, getting media attention. The group says its mission is to “fight for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.” Its members have been described as anti-government conspiracists by their critics. Political scientist Shauna Shames writes that the group – which began its life advocating resistance to COVID-19 mask mandates – [is part of a continuum in American politics](: “Change the clothes and hairdos and these ladies could look like the conservative white women who opposed busing in 1970s Boston, supported McCarthy anti-communism or blocked integration in Southern schools.” While they are an untested – and unrepresentative – group on the fringe of GOP politics, in today’s national political landscape, Moms for Liberty could wield significant political power. “Moms for Liberty, having organized small, ideological voting armies in swing states, is in the envious position of representing a concentrated and potentially decisive voting bloc,” writes Shames. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Signs in the hallway during the inaugural Moms For Liberty Summit on July 15, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. Octavio Jones/Getty Images [Moms for Liberty: ‘Joyful warriors’ or anti-government conspiracists? The 2-year-old group could have a serious impact on the presidential race]( Shauna Shames, Rutgers University Moms for Liberty, founded in 2021 and now boasting 120,000 members, could ride its conservative, limited-government message to a position of strong influence in the GOP. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Drew Angerer/Getty Images [Kevin McCarthy’s leadership is an open question as budget shutdown looms and GOP infighting takes center stage]( Charles R. Hunt, Boise State University An expert on Congress helps untangle the mess that is Kevin McCarthy’s life as speaker of the House right now. Family members of American citizens detained overseas participate in a Bring Back our Families rally on May 3, 2023, in Washington. Anna Moneymaker/via Getty Images [Ransom or realism? A closer look at Biden’s prisoner swap deal with Iran]( Klaus W. 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